Clock Breakers

Rule 2: You're Not You Beyond HQ

"And that's why everyone's so okay with calling me Freeze instead of knowing my actual name."

"Well, that's your HQ name, you still need a new one for interacting with people for the sake of secrecy."

"Yeah, yeah, I got that, keep it anonymous and untrackable. But why don't you guys care about my documented name?"

"Well for one, you said you burned the document."

"I did."

"And two, you're not the only one with a fake."

"Oh what, your name isn't Nash?" I asked the radio.

"It is, and Cooper is Cooper. Jaysk is a cover name like yours."

"Why does he have a fake, he can't even go out on missions."

"Well that's what you get for getting attached and having to kill your families," Cooper said through the channel.

"Wait, I thought it was just one."

"Did Doc tell you that?"

"He didn't correct me."

"Confidentiality," Nash said. "He couldn't correct you, but he could let you build the answers yourself. It's a loophole he exploits a lot."

"So what's it stand for?"

"Took his late uncle's name," Cooper said. "Said he vanished one day."

"Any leads?"

"No, but apparently that uncle was named after his own grandfather or something weird. Never made contact, apparently he got stuck in whatever country they were from when she came over pregnant."

    "Huh. Hey Nash, we ever find out what this extra dial on my watch is?" I asked, fiddling with it.

    "That's a negative, Freeze, no record to be found. Boss wanted you to have it, I guess."

    "Oh sure, give the man with no experience a super watch, that can only end well."

    "Jaysk, do you listen in to every conversation?" I asked.

    "Only the ones about me," he said. "Besides, I'm home base, remember, I'm taking notes and tracking everyone."

    "I thought my tracker didn't work."

    "It does, I just had to mess with the frequency a bit. It was desynced from the others, meaning it really did come from a different point in the future. Which is just lovely for you."

    "Whatever. I'll figure it out, it's like riding a bike, right?"

    "Nash, did you brief him at all?"

    "Yeah, a little," Nash said. "He'll figure it out."

    Jaysk groaned through the radio. "It's not a bike, kobshi, it's a car. You get in a car and try to drive for the first time without understanding how it works or having someone with you, you will crash."

    "Hey, I've had a month of training with this thing. I get it, I just haven't messed with the third dial yet. Nash was there, we weren't in any danger."

    "So says the man who still doesn't understand the machine on his wrist."

    "Alright ladies, settle down," Cooper said. "We are on a call right now, remember? Nash, you ready?"

    "Ready, baby, you on side or center?"

    "I'll take center, you ride the sides. Going in."

    "Copy that," Nash said. Their radios turned to quiet hums.